[Opensim-dev] what to use for serializing structures? LLSD? XmlSerializer? JSON?

[Dr Scofield]

hi,

we are currently looking at adding REST support to the RemoteAdmin 
plugin (other stuff to follow) --- the idea being that we can get 
information about (as well as change state of) a running OpenSim 
instance not only via XmlRpc but also via REST.

looking at the way we currently deal with serialization we either

    * use LLSD where mandated by secondlife (e.g., CAPS)
    * use System.Xml.XmlSerializer
    * use XmlRpc serialization (which goes back to System.Xml)

LLSD is being used by linden lab's and is proposed by LL/SLAWG as the 
serialization protocol of choice (IIUC). in my opinion it suffers from 
being a bit verbose and not really easy to parse.

XmlSerializer is "built in". on the other hand it's wordy and more 
complex to parse; also, it doesn't distinguish between the number 4711 
and the string "4711" --- you have to know that a certain tag contains a 
string (or a number).

JSON is lean, and easy to use from AJAX apps as well as python scripts 
(and the likes). it requires an additional DLL. it does however 
distinguish between strings and numbers. using a library like 
jsonexserializer (http://code.google.com/p/jsonexserializer/ --- BSD 
license) makes it easy to use from C#.

personally, i've started to like JSON because it's lean and easy to use 
--- but i'd like to hear from you guys what you think about this.

    cheers,
    dr scofield

-- 
dr dirk husemann, mathmatics and computer science, ibm zurich research lab
SL: dr scofield ---- drscofield at xyzzyxyzzy.net ---- http://xyzzyxyzzy.net/
RL: hud at zurich.ibm.com - +41 44 724 8573 - http://www.zurich.ibm.com/~hud/